Humidifying apparatus



Aug. 14, 1928.

J. A. ERWIN HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1924 GHQ: ucq

Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED S TA JAMES ARAD ERWIN, 01 OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

HUMIDIIYING APPARATUS,

Application filed January 21, 1924. 'SeriaI No. 687,645.

The present invention relates to humidifying apparatus and particularly to humidifymg apparatus adapted to be used in con-- nection with buildings, such as schools, public buildings, theaters, dwelling houses, etc.

While many types of humidifying appliances or apparatus have been heretofore designed or suggested, it has been found that for one reason or another such appliances have never come into popular use. While it is universally recognized that it greatly promotes the comfort and well being of mankind to live in an atmosphere having a certain degree of humidity, and while prior 1nventors have endeavored to provide satisfactory humidifying appliances,-yet nevertheless the only form of humidifying device used to any extent consists in the metal receptacle or tank adapted to be suspended upon a radiator and to contain water, WhlCh is heated by the radiator so that evaporation takes place. These evaporating tanks, are beneficial and serve to 1m art some degree of humidity to the atmosp ere of the room in which they are placed, but they fall far short, however, of providing means whereby the theoretically correct conditions of moisture content of the air can be produced.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic appliance, having a number of novel and important features, for maintaining at all times the atmosphere of a room at a certain degree of humidity, which degree of humidity ma be selected by the occupant of the room. 'Rhe water vapor is generated by novel means which may assume various forms. In one form of the invention, a portion of'the heat which is normally wasted or discharged into the atmosphere by the waste products of combustion of a furnace, is utilized to generate steam which is discharged into the space to be humidified. Again, a gas fired or electrically heated appliance is used for creatin water vapor, when it is desired to maintaln the humidity of the atmosphere when there is no furnace fire, or where it is not desired to use the furnace gases to generate steam, such appliances are particularly useful. The invention is susceptible of considerable modification and may be embodied in various forms, the several embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings being set forth by way of example only. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a dwelling house having the usual steam or hot water boiler or furnace in the basement, showing one form of my humidifying apparatus installed therein;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a steam generating device adapted to be placed in the conduit leading from the boiler or furnace to the chimney of a house heating plant to generate steam, utilizing the heat of the waste gases of combustion; and

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

In Figure 1, which is a section through a dwelling house, four rooms are illustrated, a chimney 10, a steam or hot water boiler or furnace 11 in the cellar, and steam or hot water radiators at 12 in the several rooms respectively. A horizontal flue or pipe 13 connects the top of the boiler 11 to the bottom of the flue 10, this pipe being preferably of sheet metal and being of ordinary construction, except in that a section is,

shown to be removed and a cylindrical casing 14: of larger diameter inserted in its place. Casing 14 is shown in Figure 2 upon a larger scale, and it will be seen that it consists'essentially of a cylindrical central portion 15 and frusto-oonical end portions 16, 16 which engage the adjacent ends of the flue 13. The gases of combustion from the furnace flow, freely through this enlarged portion of the conduit. Supported concentrically within the cylinder 15 is a second cylindrical member 17 which consists in two coaxial cylindrical walls and two annular end plates, which enclose between them a water space 18 annular in vertical transverse section. Memberl? constitutes essentially a steam generator. It is provided with a downwardly" rojecting tubular portion 19 closed at its ottom by a screw cap 20 which may be removed for drainage purposes, and is also provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical portion 21 which constitutes a steam dome for collecting the steam generated. The downward extension 19 is connected to the steam dome 21 by means of two copper tubes 23 of the tortuous shape clearly shown in Figures 2'and 3, and the upper ends of these tubes may be below the water line in member 17 to decrease Positioned adjacent the cylinder 15 is a small tank 24, the upper portion of which is connected to the steam dome by a horizontal conduit 25, and the lower portion of which is connected to the tubular member 19 by a water tube or conduit 26. Normally water stands in the tank 24 to the height indicated in Figure 3, and hence water stands at the same level in the cylindrical boiler member 17 and pipes 23, which are in free communication with the tank 24. A conduit 27 serves to conduct water from the city mains or a suitable source of supply to the tank 24, the flow of water into the tank being controlled by a valve 28 to which is operatively connected a float 29. The construction is such that the water level is continuously maintained at the desired height by the automatic operation of the float controlled valve.

From the top of tank 24 a steam pipe 30 leads upwardly, and through this steam pipe the steam intended to be discharged into the rooms above is conducted. As shown in Figure 1, the ipe 3O communicates with a header, or orizontal distributing pipe 31 from which the vertical branch pipes 32 lead, these branch pipes terminating respectively inadjustable nozzles 33 in the respective rooms, through which nozzles the steam is discharged into the atmosphere. Preferably these nozzles are placed as illustrated, when the rooms are heated by hot water or steam radiators, so

1- that the steam is carried upwardly by the heat rising from the radiators and, mingling with the air currents caused by the rising heat will be carried around the room, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. Leading laterally from pipe 30 is abranch 35 which terminates at a point 36 within the conduit or flue 13. This branch is normally closed, however, by a safety valve indicated at 37 and flow of steam therethrough only occurs when the pressure in the humidifying appliance has become unduly high. A pressure gauge is indicated at 38. Flow of steaIn into header 31 is also controlled by a valve 39 adapted to be operated by a solenoid 40 which is in circuit with a transformer or battery 41 and a hygrostat 42. The hygrostat is positioned in one of the rooms whose humidity it is sought to regulate, and is designed and constructed to cause the opening of valve 39 when the humidity falls below a predetermined point and the closing of the valve when the humidity reaches the desired degree.

In certain instances, fresh air ducts leading from the outer atmosphere to the interior of a building are provided, such as indicated at in Figure 1. The fresh air is introduced into the room above through a register 51 in the floor, and a steam nozzle 52 is provided for introducing steam into the air flowing through conduit 50 and also to cause motion of air into the room through duct 50. The nozzle 52 is connected to the header 31 for this purpose.

Various forms of steam generators may be employed, the selection of any particular one of which depending upon the conditions present in any locality and the preferences of the owner. The system of pipin through the house may be used, if desire to convey disinfectants or perfumes or other vapors to the various rooms.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that still other forms of the invention may be devised, and it is not limited to the exact design and arrangement of parts disclosed in those forms, which have been set forth by way of example.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A humidifying apparatus including in combination, a heating plant having a flue for waste products of combustion, a steam or vapor generating tank, a conduit for conducting steam from said tank to a space to be humidified, and means for automatically delivering steam from said tank into said waste products flue when the pressure in said tank exceeds a re-determined amount.

2. A humidi g apparatus including in combination, a steam or vapor generating tank, means for heating said tank,- 'a conduit for conducting steam from said tank to a s ace to be humidified, a cut-off valve in sai conduit for interrupting the flow of steam therethrough, and means for reventing the pressure of the steam in t e tank from exceeding a re-determined' amount when said cut-off va ve is closed.

3. A humidif g apparatus including in combination, a eating plant having a flue for products of combustion a steam or vapor generating tank, a conduit for conducting steam from said tank to a space to be.

humidified, a regulating valve in said conduit, and means for discharging steam from said tank into said waste products flue when the pressure of the steam in said tank exceeds a pre-determined amount due to the entire or partial closure of said regulating valve.

4. A humidifying apparatus including in combination, a steam or vapor generating tank, means for heating said tank, a conduit for conducting steam from said tank to a space to be humidified, a regulating valve in said conduit, electro-mechanical means for operating the regulating valve in accordance with the relative humidity of the space to be humidified, and means for preventing the pressure of the steam inthe tank amount due to the operation of said regulating valve.

from exceeding a predetermined I 5. Apparatus for humidifying a space to said space is conducted therethrough by heated by means ofradiators comprising, a the com ection currents of air created by steam or vapor generating tank and a con- 831d rduit leading from said tank and having a In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 5 discharge orifice in said space adjacent a signature.

heatin radiator, the arran ement being v such t at the steam or vapor harged in- JAMES ARAD ERWIN. 

